Improvement in lock-work attachments to clocks



FLnnENcE KnoEBEn.

Lnckwork-Attachments to (Hacks No.155655, Patented 0ct.6,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT (Dr-FICEo FLORENCE KROEBER, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCK-WORK ATTACHMENTS TO CLOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 55,656, dated October 6, 1874 5 application filed July 23, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLORENCE KROEBER, of Hoboken, in` the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Lock-VVork Attachment to Clocks, of which the following' is a specification:

Figure lis a face view ot' my improved lockwork attachment. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same 5 and Figs. 3, et, and 5 are detail views of the disk or plate which is mounted upon the spindle of the minute-hand.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to a modiiication of the mechanism described in Letters Patent No. 152,292, which were granted to me on the 23d day of June, 1874; the present invention consisting in the application of a spring-pawl to a disk or plate which is mounted upon the spindle of the minute-hand, said spring-pawl bearing with its end against said spindle, and serving, when the spindle is turned to the right, to throw the wire of the lock-work aside and cause the clock to strike, while, when the spindle is turned to the left, said pawl will swing on its pivot over the end of the said wire and clear the same without moving it. In this manner the object of the apparatus is fully attained-that is to say, the clock is so arranged that the hands on the dial can be turned backward, and so that when turned backward the lock-work of the clock will not be injured. Now, although the pawl pivoted to the plate as aforesaid is in reality nothing more th an a self-balancing lever, substantially as described in the aforementioned Letters Patent, still, being pivoted to the plate on the spindle, instead of to the frame of the clock, it constitutes a modification of sufficient importance to the public to warrant me in giving this specific description of such modiiication.

In the accompanying drawing, only those parts ofthe clock are represented which have proper reference to the p resent invention. The letter A represents the frame ofthe clock. B is a spindle carrying the minute-hand, and rotated by connection with the mainspring, in the usual manner. The spindle B carries va projecting plate or disk, a, to which a pawl, b, is pivoted, as shown, said pawl being connected with a spring, d, by which its free end is caused to bear against the body of the spindie, as shown in Fig. l, or against a collar on the spindle or shoulder on the disk. C is the usual notched wheel or disk, mounted on a spindle, D, and acted upon, when released, by the spring E of the striking mechanism. F is the ordinary hook-shaped catch, engaging into the notches of the disk C and mounted on a rock-shaft, Cr. Another rock-shaft, L, carries the two wires or arms e f, of which one, c, enters under the catch F, while the other, f, reaches toward the spindle B, having its lower end bent toward the face ofthe disk or plate a, in the manner indicated in Fig. 2. The end of the hook or wire f that bears against or toward the disk a is at such a distance from the axis of the spindle B as.to be in the way of the end of the pawl b that bears against the body ofthe spindle, as stated, and inside of the circle described by the pivot of said pawl.

Now, when the minute-hand and its spindle B are rotated toward the right, in the direction ofthe arrow indicated in Fig. 3, which is the normal motion of said spindle during the operation of the clock-work, the point of the pawl b will, at the end of every single revolution, enter between the end of the wire f and the spindle B, and crowd the wire f aside away from the spindle B, in the manner clearly indicated in Fig. 3. By the motion thus imparted to the wire f the wire c is also moved and the clock caused to strike .in the requisite manner but when a person attempts to set the hands of the clock by turning them backward in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 4, this can be readily done, as the pawl b, when it reaches the contact end of the wire f, will, on its pivot, swing over said wire without affecting its position, as indicated in Fig. 4, and then, after having passed the wiref, said pawl will, under the induence ot' -the spring d, again resume its normal position, which is indicated in Fig. l.

Clocks will thus, by the attachment of the pawl b to the disk a, be preserved in good striking order, besides acquiring the liberty of having the hands turned either way.

It will be readily understood that the same operation will result when the point of the pawl is caused to bem1 against u rim of the which is mounted upon the spindle B of the disk a, and the Wiref thereby moved toward clock, to operate in conjunction with the arm the spindle B when the minute-hand is at l2, of the look-Work, substantially as specified.

whereas the drawing shows sueh motion of F. KROEBER. the Wire f to be away from the spindle B. Witnesses:

I claim as my invention- A. V. BRIESEN,

The pawl b, pivoted to the plate or disk o, EDW. K. ANDERTON. 

